Ignite Productivity by Letting Employees Sleep on the Job

Happy National Workplace Nap Day! You read that right: workplace nap. In the past, nappers have been stigmatized as lazy, but that’s no longer the case. More and more organizations (Google and HubSpot, to name a few) are jumping on the bedwagon by introducing sleep pods or nap rooms to the workplace. And the benefits your employees and business will reap are pretty surprising.

Overworked Society

The US is one of the most overworked nations. A study by the United Nations revealed how many employed Americans are working more than 40 hours per week:

85.8% of males

66.5% of females

Americans are tired. Not to mention, Brookings found that families used to earn a median income by working 2800 hours in 1975. But now they’re working 3500 hours. With the disproportionate rise of inflation compared to income, Americans are working twice as hard to stay afloat. So isn’t it time we all get a break?

Increased Abilities

Taking a quick nap at work shouldn’t be frowned upon. In fact, NASA ran a study by allowing military pilots and astronauts to take 40-minute naps. And the results? There was a 34% increase in performance and a shocking 100% in alertness. Naps don’t have to be that long to work. Even a 20-minute nap does wonders for productivity and creativity, according to WebMD.

We’ve all experienced the midafternoon crash when your brain becomes muddled. So instead of having your employees fight their yawns, let them take power naps. They’ll be more alert and able to focus on whatever task is at hand.

So imagine how beneficial this is when an employee is still in training or if they’re learning a new software. They’re able to better retain information on whatever they’re learning. And even better, with heightened perceptual learning, new hires will be able to better understand the organization’s culture.

So if you want to get the most productivity out of your employees, give them a break. Make napping a part of your organizational culture.